Embracing Islam in Switzerland: (Re-)Conversion Between Searching for the Meaning of Life and Social Ties

The pioneer conversion model of Lofland and Stark suggests that people adopt a religion because experiences in their biography motivate them to seek answers regarding the purpose of life, and because they encounter followers of a religion that happens to provide them with convincing answers. We draw on the Lofland-Stark model while considering Lofland's and Skonovd's concept of conversion motifs to gain a deeper insight into the convert's story of adopting a new faith. Furthermore, we integrate Paloutzian's concept of spiritual transformation into our theoretical framework to cover both conversion and reconversion (reversion). Against this conceptual background and applying a combination of narrative-autobiographical interviews with qualitative network analysis, we interviewed 24 converts and reconverts in Switzerland. Based on the findings, we propose a typology along the dimensions of "seeking answers" and "social contacts".

Use of Digital Technologies to Maintain Older Adults' Social Ties During Visitation Restrictions in Long-Term Care Facilities: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Digital technologies were implemented to address the disruption of long-term care facility residents' socialization needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A literature review regarding this topic is needed to inform public policy, facility managers, family caregivers, and nurses and allied health professionals involved in mediating the use of digital devices for residents' social ties.

OBJECTIVE

Our study outlines key concepts, methodologies, results, issues, and gaps in articles published during pandemic-related visitation restrictions.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) protocol, a scoping review was conducted by searching 3 database aggregator platforms (EBSCO, ProQuest, and PubMed) for studies published in peer-reviewed journals from early 2020 to the end of June 2021, when the most stringent restrictions were in place. We included qualitative and quantitative studies, reviews, commentaries, viewpoints, and letters to the editors in French or English focusing on digital technologies aiming to support the social contact of residents in long-term care facilities during pandemic-related visitation restrictions.

RESULTS

Among 763 screened articles, 29 met our selection criteria. For each study, we characterized the (1) authors, title, and date of the publication; (2) country of the first author; (3) research fields; (4) article type; and (5) type of technology mentioned. The analysis distinguished 3 main themes emerging from the literature: (1) impact and expectations of remote social contact on the physical and mental health and well-being of the residents (n=12), (2) with whom or what the social contact took place (n=17), and (3) limitations and barriers to significant social contact related to digital technologies (n=14). The results first underlined the highly positive impact expected by the authors of the digital technologies on health and quality of life of residents of long-term care facilities. Second, they highlighted the plurality of ties to consider, since social contact takes place not only with family caregivers to maintain contact but also for other purposes (end-of-life videoconferences) and with other types of contact (eg, with staff and robots). Third, they exposed the limitations and barriers to significant contact using digital technologies and outlined the required conditions to enable them.

CONCLUSIONS

The review demonstrated the opportunities and risks outlined by the literature about the implementation of digital technologies to support remote social contact. It showed the plurality of ties to consider and revealed the need to evaluate the positive impact of remote contact from the residents' perspectives. Therefore, to go beyond the risk of digital solutionism, there is a need for studies considering the holistic impact on health regarding the implementation of digital technologies, including the meaning residents give to interpersonal exchanges and the organizational constraints.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registries osf.io/yhpx3; https://osf.io/yhpx3.

How to achieve sustainable buyer-seller relationship in social commerce? The effect of network closure on ties evolution

The fact that most buyer-seller ties in the social commerce community are easy to form but hard to keep has brought the "social bubble" into social commerce. Following the literature streams of network closure and social commerce and based on the longitudinal dataset of an online social commerce community over a year, this article explores the buyer-seller ties evolution in the social commerce community through two stages, that is, ties emergence versus ties persistence. In this study, the authors build a hazard model and estimate with a semiparametric partial likelihood method. Our results show an asymmetric effect of network closure mechanisms across different stages of buyer-seller ties evolution. In the early stage of buyer-seller ties, due to the information asymmetry, buyers usually rely on informative signals that either reflect the "popular others" (i.e., the popularity and content sharing) or the "ideal self" (i.e., the value homophily and status homophily) to form ties with sellers, which makes the community more "transactional." As very few ties can survive through the periods of 3 months or more, the normative social influence, which relies heavily on the structure of extant relationships among community members, becomes the dominant driver of ties persistence, which makes the community more "social." This study contributes to the ongoing research of network analysis and social commerce. It provides valuable tactics to sellers who want to develop long-term relationships with buyers in the social commerce community.

Organizational Social Relations and Social Embedding: A Pluralistic Review

To date there has been little systematic organization of the extensive literature on the processes and mechanisms shaping social relationships in and around organizations. In an analysis of 372 studies from this literature, we identified a broad spectrum of assumptions, priorities, and relational issues emerging from multiple disciplines and theoretical lenses. Three dominant perspectives surfaced in our study: economic, organizational, and interactionist. Each manifests distinctive ontologies of social relations, actors, relational processes, and modes of social embedding. The rich variety of relationships and causal patterns discovered characterizes more fully these perspectives, suggesting opportunities for further research within each, and a wider range of conceptual options to target relational paradigms toward different types of organizations, problems, and levels of analysis. It also brings to light the pluralistic nature of social relations in organizational contexts and the processes by which they become embedded.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Ties, and Psychosocial Well-Being of Middle-Aged Women in Rural Africa

The study contributes to the understanding of the societal impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the Global South by examining longer term implications of pandemic-induced disruptions and deprivations for social ties and psychosocial well-being. Using data from a survey of middle-aged women in rural Mozambique, the author finds a negative association between the pandemic-triggered household economic decline and perceived changes in the quality of relations with marital partners, non-coresident children, and relatives, but not with generally more distant actors, such as coreligionists and neighbors. In turn, multivariable analyses detect a positive association of changes in the quality of family and kin ties with participants' life satisfaction, regardless of other factors. Yet women's expectations for changes in their household living conditions in the near future show a significant association only with changes in the quality of relations with marital partners. The author situates these findings within the context of women's enduring vulnerabilities in low-income patriarchal settings.

Deeds and Words: Farmers' Attitude-Paradox in Collective Action for Small-Scale Irrigation

We explore the mechanisms of the attitude-behavior paradox and how multiple stakeholders strategize to compromise their attitudes and behaviors. Through an instrumental variable probit model, we examine the effect of income heterogeneity and social ties on the farmers' attitude-behavior paradox for collective action. The empirical results demonstrate that weak and strong ties, income heterogeneity, interaction terms, education, community environment, and community rules negatively affect the paradox, whereas water stealing and water use conflicts positively affect it. After dividing the paradox into two forms, we find that weak ties, the interaction terms thereof, negatively affect the paradox for "having negative attitude but do have behavior", while income heterogeneity negatively affects the paradox for "having positive attitude but no behavior". We contribute to the understanding of mechanisms whereby economic incentives and social structures interplay in addressing the above paradox. We conclude by discussing the implications for policies to overcome this social dilemma.

The Importance of Local and Global Social Ties for the Mental Health and Well-Being of Recently Resettled Refugee-Background Women in Australia

Social connections are foundational to the human condition and are inherently disrupted when people are forcibly displaced from their home countries. At a time of record high global forced migration, there is value in better understanding how refugee-background individuals engage theirsocial supports or ties in resettlement contexts. A mixed methods research design aimed to understand the complexities of how 104 refugee-background women experienced their social networks in the first few months of resettlement in Australia. One of the research activities involved participants completing a survey with both quantitative and qualitative components. The quantitative analyses identified the impact of post-migration living difficulties that represented social stressors (worry about family, loneliness and boredom, feeling isolated, and racial discrimination) on the women's mental health outcomes in the months following resettlement. The qualitative data highlighted the complexities of social relationships serving as both stressors and sources of support, and the importance of recognizing extended families and supports around the globe. The findings point to the need for nuanced accounts of the social contexts surrounding refugee resettlement as important influences able to promote trauma-informed and gender sensitive practices to support mental health and well-being in new settings.

Socio-Economic Position, Demographic Characteristics, and Changes in Social Networks

Contact restrictions and distancing measures are among the most effective non-pharmaceutical measures to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus. Yet, research has only begun to understand the wider social consequences of these interventions. This study investigates how individuals' social networks have changed since the outbreak of the pandemic and how this is related to individuals' socio-economic positions and their socio-demographic characteristics. Based on a large quota sample of the German adult population, we investigate the loss and gain of strong and weak social ties during the pandemic. While about one third of respondents reported losing of contact with acquaintances, every fourth person has lost contact to a friend. Forming new social ties occurs less frequently. Only 10-15% report having made new acquaintances (15%) or friends (10%) during the pandemic. Overall, more than half of our respondents did not report any change, however. Changes in social networks are linked to both socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, such as age, gender, education, and migration background, providing key insights into a yet underexplored dimension of pandemic-related social inequality.

Who you know: The classed structure of social capital

This article focuses on the social structuring of social capital, understood as resources embedded in social networks. The analysis integrates key theoretical-methodological insights from two distinct approaches concerned with social capital and inequality: the position-generator approach associated with Nan Lin and the spatial approach associated with Pierre Bourdieu. Empirically, we exploit the possibilities of survey data containing detailed information about the social ties of a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population (N = 4007). By means of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), we construct a space of social ties, a spatial representation of systematic similarities and differences between individuals' social ties to a set of 33 occupational positions. In this space, social capital is structured according to two primary dimensions: (i) the level of social ties, in terms of individuals' number of contacts; and (ii), the quality of social ties, in terms of a division between being connected to others in high-status positions and others in low-status positions. By means of Ascending Hierarchical Cluster analysis, five clusters are identified within the space of social ties: a homogenous working-class cluster, a well-connected working-class cluster, a cluster of high-status ties, a homogenous high-status cluster and a low-volume cluster. Moreover, the analysis clearly indicates that the structure of social capital is connected to respondents' class positions, their volumes of cultural and economic capital and their class origin. The analysis thus draws attention to the role of social capital in processes of social closure, regarding both resource monopolization and class formation.

Parochial cooperation in wild chimpanzees: a model to explain the evolution of parochial altruism

Parochial altruism, taking individual costs to benefit the in-group and harm the out-group, has been proposed as one of the mechanisms underlying the human ability of large-scale cooperation. How parochial altruism has evolved remains unclear. In this review paper, we formulate a parochial cooperation model in small-scale groups and examine the model in wild chimpanzees. As suggested for human parochial altruism, we review evidence that the oxytocinergic system and in-group cooperation and cohesion during out-group threat are integral parts of chimpanzee collective action during intergroup competition. We expand this model by suggesting that chimpanzee parochial cooperation is supported by the social structure of chimpanzee groups which enables repeated interaction history and established social ties between co-operators. We discuss in detail the role of the oxytocinergic system in supporting parochial cooperation, a pathway that appears integral already in chimpanzees. The reviewed evidence suggests that prerequisites of human parochial altruism were probably present in the last common ancestor between Pan and Homo. This article is part of the theme issue 'Intergroup conflict across taxa'.

Neighborhood social integration as a predictor of neighborhood perceptions

A growing body of literature has established a relationship between neighborhood perceptions and both physical and mental health outcomes, yet there remains a need to further explicate possible psychosocial factors that are predictive of neighborhood perceptions. This study hypothesized that an increase in social integration would result in more positive neighborhood perceptions. Propensity score matching on social integration was employed to strengthen the ability to draw a causal inference about the effect on neighborhood perceptions. When controlling for a range of sociodemographic covariates-including area deprivation index as a measure of objective neighborhood conditions-high social integration accounted for more than a 7% increase in neighborhood perceptions. The findings indicate the role of social integration as a predictor of neighborhood perceptions, revealing the potential importance of interventions and mechanisms aimed at improving neighborhood perceptions via social integration for the purposes of improving physical health and mental wellbeing.

A Social Ecological Perspective on Physical Activity of Low-Income Older Adults in Singapore

This study presents a description and understanding of the physical activity of low-income older adults in Singapore, with specific focus on their communication and interactions with social partners. Ethnographic observations and participant interviews (N = 10) were conducted with a purposive sample. Findings contained descriptions of actual behaviors of the target group and explanations of the influences on their physical activity, ranging from the intrapersonal sphere, to communication with their strong-tie networks, and finally, interactions with the community and environment surrounding them. The author takes a social ecological viewpoint on the topic, uncovering the lived experiences of the target audience, and suggests how theory, research, and practical policies may be improved to better support those at the lower end of the socioeconomic strata.

The power of weak ties in preserving cognitive function: a longitudinal study of older Chinese adults

Objectives: Characterized by infrequent contact, low emotional intensity, and limited intimacy, weak ties are found to be associated with better subjective well-being and other health outcomes. Drawing on the theory of weak ties and the convoy model of social relations, this paper aims to examine the association between weak ties and cognitive function among older adults in China.Methods: We used multilevel growth modeling to analyze panel data for adults aged 60 years and over (N = 2,650) selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2015). Weak ties were measured based on the frequency of social activity participation and the number of social activities.Results: Weekly or irregular social activity participation in at least one social activity was significantly associated with better mental status and memory. The number of participated social activities was also significantly and positively associated with mental status and memory. After controlling for age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, geographic residence, household expenditures, and health conditions (i.e., depressive symptoms and self-reported health), we found that participation in a greater number of social activities protected memory from declining by 4% for every 2 years (p < 0.001).Conclusion: These findings suggest that social interactions with peripheral members of a diverse social network may help prevent cognitive decline for older Chinese adults. Greater attention on weak ties might yield practical implications for non-pharmacological dementia prevention and health promotion for the general older population.

Neighborhood Disorder, Social Ties, and Preventive Healthcare Utilization among Urban-Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives: This research examines whether perceived neighborhood disorder influences the use of preventive healthcare services (i.e. influenza vaccine, pneumonia vaccine, cholesterol screening, colonoscopy, and dental care) by older adults and whether social ties buffer the potential adverse effects of perceived neighborhood disorder. Methods: Using data from the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, binary logistic regression was used to generate odds ratio estimates of preventive healthcare use in the past 2 years. Results: We find that greater levels of neighborhood disorder were associated with fewer dental care visits net of social and health factors. Regular participation in four or more social activities was associated with decreased odds of restricted use and increased odds of receiving a pneumonia vaccine and colonoscopy. Discussion: This research provides evidence that perceived neighborhood disorder may act as a barrier for specific preventive healthcare services and highlights the need for targeted intervention.

Prediagnosis social support, social integration, living status, and colorectal cancer mortality in postmenopausal women from the women's health initiative

BACKGROUND

We evaluated associations between perceived social support, social integration, living alone, and colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

The study included 1431 women from the Women's Health Initiative who were diagnosed from 1993 through 2017 with stage I through IV CRC and who responded to the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support survey before their CRC diagnosis. We used proportional hazards regression to evaluate associations of social support (tertiles) and types of support, assessed up to 6 years before diagnosis, with overall and CRC-specific mortality. We also assessed associations of social integration and living alone with outcomes also in a subset of 1141 women who had information available on social ties (marital/partner status, community and religious participation) and living situation.

RESULTS

In multivariable analyses, women with low (hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.23-1.88) and moderate (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.98-1.50) perceived social support had significantly higher overall mortality than those with high support (P [continuous] < .001). Similarly, women with low (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.07-1.88) and moderate (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.96-1.70) perceived social support had higher CRC mortality than those with high social support (P [continuous] = .007). Emotional, informational, and tangible support and positive interaction were all significantly associated with outcomes, whereas affection was not. In main-effects analyses, the level of social integration was related to overall mortality (P for trend = .02), but not CRC mortality (P for trend = .25), and living alone was not associated with mortality outcomes. However, both the level of social integration and living alone were related to outcomes in patients with rectal cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with low perceived social support before diagnosis have higher overall and CRC-specific mortality.

"The Community Helped Me:" Community Cohesion and Environmental Concerns in Personal Assessments of Post-Disaster Recovery

This study investigates long-term appraisals of community recovery after a major environmental disaster. Specifically, we conducted a survey of 351 individuals living in coastal counties in Alabama and Florida on the five-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Using mixed methods that combined content analysis and ordinary least squares regression, we find that residents who believe they live in a community where neighbors help each other are more likely to see their communities as recovering. Conversely, reporting major effects from environmental problems, like lost fishing income, reduces perceptions of community recovery. Five years after the oil spill a majority of respondents saw little economic recovery and almost half perceived low environmental recovery. This reflects the importance of the environment to the long-term health and success of areas dependent on natural resources. It also suggests the need for directing funding toward community-level programs and preserving shared natural resources post-disaster.

Neighborhood Norms, Disadvantage, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Most theoretical treatments of intimate partner violence (IPV) focus on individual-level processes. More recently, scholars have begun to examine the role of macrolevel factors. Results of that research indicate that social ties facilitate the diffusion of cultural norms-including tolerance of deviance/violence-across neighborhoods. Yet the influence of the neighborhood normative climate extends beyond norms regarding the use of violence, shaping cultural understanding about dating and the opposite sex. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the current investigation examines the multilevel association between dating norms and IPV perpetration among a large, diverse sample of adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that individuals' liberal dating attitudes are associated with IPV perpetration. Furthermore, this effect varies across levels of neighborhood disadvantage.

The Ties That Bind and Unbound Ties: Experiences of Formerly Homeless Individuals in Recovery From Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use

This report explores the nature and quality of social ties of formerly homeless individuals in recovery from serious mental illness and substance abuse and how these ties relate to experiences of community. Using grounded theory and cross-case analysis techniques, we analyzed 34 qualitative interviews conducted with predominantly racial/ethnic minority individuals receiving mental health services. Participants described a range of involvement and experiences in the mental health service and mainstream communities indicating a combination of weak or strong ties in these communities. Across participants, two broad themes emerged: ties that bind and obstacles that "get in the way" of forming social ties. Salient subthemes included those related to family, cultural spaces, employment, substance abuse, stigma and mental health service providers and peers. The current study integrates our understanding of positive and negative aspects of social ties and provides a theoretical framework highlighting the complexity of social ties within mainstream and mental health service communities.

[The feeling of threat and stress: the mediating role of social ties in the workplace on the example of the mine rescuer occupation]

BACKGROUND

Working in high-risk occupations is associated with the feeling of threat and stress. The aim of the research conducted from December 2016 to May 2017 was to examine the relationship between these variables in the group of mine rescuers. It was assumed that the quality of social ties with co-workers would act as a mediator of the assumed relationship.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The sample consisted of 232 mine rescuers employed in emergency stations in Poland. The risk assessment at work was determined using Kwestionariusz poczucia zagrożenia w pracy (The Feeling of Threat at Work Questionnaire) by Mamcarz; Kwestionariusz poczucia stresu (The Feeling of Stress Questionnaire) by Plopa and Makarowski was used to study the feeling of stress, and the quality of social ties was measured using Skala więzi społecznych (The Social Ties Scale) by Skarżyńska.

RESULTS

A negative relationship was observed between the feeling of threat and the level of the experienced stress. The sense of social ties with co-workers acts as a mediator in the relationship between these variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Social ties reduce stress caused by the feeling of threat, and they are also an important factor supporting the coping with negative emotions. The obtained results make it possible to present practical recommendations, aimed mainly at strengthening the adaptation and integration activities in teams carrying out their tasks in hazardous conditions. The authors of the study point out that these activities should concern primarily the following 3 areas: the adaptation of new members of the group, the strengthening of positive relationships in teams, and support in a traumatic situation during convalescence. Med Pr. 2019;70(3):295-304.

A Gendered Analysis of the Effects of Social Ties and Risky Behavior on Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

Recent studies have begun to explore how social ties relate to adolescent dating violence. Building upon prior literature that investigates the relationship between lifestyle patterns and dating violence, the current research explores how social ties developed early in life may indirectly affect intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization risk among adults by influencing risky behavior in late adolescence. Furthermore, the study explores the possibility that the relationship between social ties, risk behavior, and IPV may be gendered. To examine the direct and indirect effects, the current study uses data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to estimate multiple mediation models. Peer engagement and adolescent risky behavior have significant direct effects on IPV risk in young adulthood. Tests of indirect effects provide evidence of mediation with the social tie measures indirectly influencing IPV risk via their influence on risky behavior. Finally, there is evidence that the pathways to IPV victimization vary by sex. Implications for theory and policy, and directions for future research are discussed.

Injuries, dislocations, and poor health perceived by older adults to result from vigorous physical activity: implications for active living, health promotion, and gerontology

This study examines older adults' perceptions about their participation in vigorous physical activity (VPA) and the association between VPA and self-related health. A total of 686 older adults responded to self-reported questionnaires, and Pearson's ꭓ2 test and binary logistic regression were used to present findings. About 74% of older adults reported experiencing dislocations, fractures, or/and other forms of injury in intense physical activities lasting 30 minutes or more a day. After controlling for relevant socio-demographic factors, older adults who participated in VPA for 30 or more minutes a day were less likely (OR=0,129; p=0,000) to report good health compared with those who participated in VPA for less than 30 minutes. It is concluded that VPA in older populations can result in casualties that may compel older adults to underrate their health, which can discourage active living habits in older populations and discredit PA/health promotion programs.

Molecular Analysis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-Infected Individuals in a Network-Based Intervention (Transmission Reduction Intervention Project): Phylogenetics Identify HIV-1-Infected Individuals With Social Links

Background

The Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) is a network-based intervention that aims at decreasing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) spread. We herein explore associations between transmission links as estimated by phylogenetic analyses, and social network-based ties among persons who inject drugs (PWID) recruited in TRIP.

Methods

Phylogenetic trees were inferred from HIV-1 sequences of TRIP participants. Highly supported phylogenetic clusters (transmission clusters) were those fulfilling 3 different phylogenetic confidence criteria. Social network-based ties (injecting or sexual partners, same venue engagement) were determined based on personal interviews, recruitment links, and field observation.

Results

TRIP recruited 356 individuals (90.2% PWID) including HIV-negative controls; recently HIV-infected seeds; long-term HIV-infected seeds; and their social network members. Of the 150 HIV-infected participants, 118 (78.7%) were phylogenetically analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses suggested the existence of 13 transmission clusters with 32 sequences. Seven of these clusters included 14 individuals (14/32 [43.8%]) who also had social ties with at least 1 member of their cluster. This proportion was significantly higher than what was expected by chance.

Conclusions

Molecular methods can identify HIV-infected people socially linked with another person in about half of the phylogenetic clusters. This could help public health efforts to locate individuals in networks with high transmission rates.

Weight and weight control behaviors of Latinas and their social ties

OBJECTIVE

Shared behaviors have been implicated in the clustering of obesity among socially connected people. This study determined how weight and weight control behaviors of participants and their social ties are related and how these factors are associated with weight change in participants.

METHOD

Adult Latinas participating in a lifestyle intervention completed an egocentric network measure of weight and weight control behaviors. Participant weight was objectively measured at baseline and 12 months. Multivariable regression models determined the relationship between weight and weight control behaviors of participants and their social ties.

RESULTS

Participants and their social ties shared similarities in weight control behaviors and weight change. Participants who reported social ties that had lost weight were more likely to eat small portions and low-fat foods, but those with social ties that had gained weight were more likely to use herbal supplements. Participants who reported more social ties who exercised, drank liquid meal replacements, took herbal supplements, and self-weighed were more likely to lose weight whereas those with fewer social ties that exercised were more likely to gain weight. Weight loss and weight gain by social ties predicted participant weight loss and weight gain, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Given that weight and weight control behaviors of Latinas reflect that of their social ties, targeting existing social networks for lifestyle interventions may more effectively improve and sustain health-promoting behaviors and outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Stronger social bonds do not always predict greater longevity in a gregarious primate

In group-living species, individuals often have preferred affiliative social partners, with whom ties or bonds can confer advantages that correspond with greater fitness. For example, in adult female baboons and juvenile horses, individuals with stronger or more social ties experience greater survival. We used detailed behavioral and life history records to explore the relationship between tie quality and survival in a gregarious monkey (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni), while controlling for dominance rank, group size, and life history strategy. We used Cox proportional hazards regressions to model the cumulative (multi-year) and current (single-year) relationships of social ties and the hazard of mortality in 83 wild adult females of known age, observed 2-8 years each (437 subject-years) in eight social groups. The strength of bonds with close partners was associated with increased mortality risk under certain conditions: Females that had strong bonds with close partners that were inconsistent over multiple years had a higher risk of mortality than females adopting any other social strategy. Within a given year, females had a higher risk of death if they were strongly bonded with partners that changed from the previous year versus with partners that remained consistent. Dominance rank, number of adult female groupmates, and age at first reproduction did not predict the risk of death. This study demonstrates that costs and benefits of strong social bonds can be context-dependent, relating to the consistency of social partners over time.

Impact of Living Alone on Depressive Symptoms in Older Korean Widows

We examined the relationship between living alone and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in older Korean widows and assessed the individual contributions of health, social ties, and socioeconomic factors to the development of depressive symptoms. The study was a secondary analysis using data from widows, 65 years of age and older, who participated in the Living Profiles of Older People Survey (LPOPS). A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the contributions of health, social ties, and socioeconomic factors to the development of depressive symptoms. Working status and equivalent household income were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in both those living with others and those living alone. Adjustment for health status and social ties did not change the impact of living alone on the prevalence of depressive symptoms. However, adjustment for equivalent household income eliminated the negative association between living alone and depressive symptoms. Our findings indicate that economic resources are more important than health and social ties for alleviating the negative impact of living alone on the development of depressive symptoms in older widows.

Exploratory Analyses of Risk Behaviors Among GLBT Youth Attending a Drop-In Center

This exploratory study examines measures of one drop-in center's efforts to improve health outcomes of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth by facilitating out-group secondary social ties. Hatch Youth, located in Houston, Texas, aims to increase self-esteem and decrease negative health outcomes by encouraging GLBT youth to be part of Houston's greater GLBT community. Survey data ( N = 614) collected between October 2003 and April 2013 were entered into logistic regression models. Attending Hatch Youth for 6 or more months was associated with having a social group outside of school (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.33, 3.20]), being out to that social group (aOR = 2.34; 95% CI = [1.35, 4.03]), and interacting with the GLBT community outside of Hatch Youth (aOR = 2.33; 95% CI = [1.50, 3.54]), when referenced against youth attending less than 1 month. Having a good family relationship in the last 90 days (aOR = 2.48; 95% CI = [1.67, 3.70]) and having a social group outside of school (aOR = 2.57; 95% CI = [1.67, 3.97]) were associated with higher self-esteem. Higher self-esteem was associated with practicing safe sex (aOR = 1.86; 95% CI = [1.25, 2.75]) and not using street drugs (aOR = 0.45; 95% CI = [0.24, 0.83]). Interacting with the GLBT community outside of Hatch Youth was associated with practicing safe sex (aOR = 1.64; 95% CI = [1.12, 2.42]). Drop-in centers can strengthen secondary social ties among youth. Because questions remain about how drop-in centers can assist youth aging out of their programs to find other supportive secondary social ties, additional studies examining similar drop-in centers are needed.

A 10-Year Follow-Up Study of Social Ties and Functional Health among the Old: The AGES Project

In Asian nations, family ties are considered important. However, it is not clear what happens among older people with no such ties. To investigate the association, we used longitudinal data from the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES) project. Functionally independent older people at baseline (N = 14,088) in 10 municipalities were followed from 2003 to 2013. Social ties were assessed by asking about their social support exchange with family, relatives, friends, or neighbors. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to investigate the association between social ties and the onset of functional disability adjusting for age, health status, and living arrangement. We found that social ties with co-residing family members, and those with friends or neighbors, independently protected functional health with hazard ratios of 0.81 and 0.85 among men. Among women, ties with friend or neighbors had a stronger effect on health compared to their male counterparts with a hazard ratio of 0.89. The fact that social ties with friends or neighbors are associated with a lower risk of functional decline, independent of family support, serves to underscore the importance of promoting social ties, especially among those lacking family ties.

Anxiety Disorders among US Immigrants: The Role of Immigrant Background and Social-Psychological Factors

This study used the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a longitudinal adult sample, to estimate the rates of prevalent, acquired, and persisting anxiety disorders by nativity and racial-ethnic origin while adjusting for acculturation, stress, social ties, and sociodemographics. Prevalent and acquired anxiety disorders were less likely among foreign-born than US-born, except Puerto-Rican- and Mexican-born who had higher risks. Persisting cases were similar between foreign-born and US-born, except Asian/Pacific Islanders who had lower risk. Stress and preference for socializing outside one's racial-ethnic group were associated with higher while close ties were associated with lower rates of acquired/persisting anxiety disorders.

Social ties and embeddedness in old age: older Turkish labour migrants in Vienna

This paper focuses on older Turkish labour migrants and their spouses, who mostly came to Vienna as young adults in the 1960s and thereafter. They are now entering retirement age and constitute a significant part of Vienna's older population. I analyse their understandings of transnational ageing, their social ties and feelings of social embeddedness. For those still mobile, active participation in one of Vienna's Turkish cultural/religious/political associations is identified as a particular source of social embeddedness. I argue that these voluntary associations provide an important place for older migrants to strengthen social ties and are relatively easy to access, including in old age. Nevertheless, I demonstrate that older Turkish labour migrants are exposed to several forms of discrimination, some of which are felt especially strongly in old age, including a lack of adequate institutionalised late life care. In the discussion of the paper, I critically revisit the debate on ethnicity as a resource versus ethnicity as a vulnerability factor in old age. I argue that this debate is misleading since it camouflages other central social categories and relations. I conclude by suggesting closer attention be paid to the specific but multiple generational experiences of older labour migrants and their spouses.

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This research examines obstacles faced by older people living with HIV in maintaining their significant social ties (family, friends) in the light of a double theoretical framework, inter-sectionality and the course of life. Favoring a qualitative methodology, this research is based on in-depth, semi-directed interviews with a diverse sample of 38 people living with HIV, aged 50-73 years. Analysis reveals that a significant proportion of participants have experienced ruptures or deterioration of close ties with intimates at the level of family or friends. The principal factors behind these difficulties are the past and present stigma associated with HIV and /or other social positions, long-term effects of HIV, issues related to aging and crosscutting effects of HIV and aging.

Neuroinflammation in suicide: Toward a comprehensive model

OBJECTIVES

Suicidal behaviour (SB) entered the DSM-5, underlying a specific biological vulnerability. Then, recent findings suggested a possible role of the immune system in SB pathogenesis. The objective of this review is to present these main immune factors involved in SB pathogenesis.

METHODS

We conducted a review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis criteria, and combined ("Inflammation") AND ("Suicidal ideation" OR "Suicidal attempt" OR "suicide").

RESULTS

Post mortem studies demonstrated associations between suicide and inflammatory cytokines in the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region involved in suicidal vulnerability. Also, microgliosis and monocyte-macrophage system activation may be a useful marker of suicide neurobiology. Kynurenine may influence inflammatory processes, and related molecular pathways may be involved in SB pathophysiology. Few recent studies associated inflammatory markers with suicidal vulnerability: serotonin dysfunction, impulsivity and childhood trauma. Interestingly, the perception of threat that leads suicidal individuals to contemplate suicide may activate biological stress responses, including inflammatory responses.

CONCLUSIONS

Translational projects would be crucial to identify a specific marker in SB disorders, to investigate its clinical correlations, and the interaction between inflammatory cytokines and monoamine systems in SB. These researches might lead to new biomarkers and novel directions for therapeutic strategies.

Families and Disability Onset: Are Spousal Resources Less Important for Individuals at High Risk of Dementia?

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether social contacts and spousal characteristics predict incident instrumental or basic activities of daily living (I/ADL) limitations and whether effects differ for individuals with high risk of dementia.

DESIGN

Cohort study.

SETTING

Biennial interviews of Health and Retirement Study participants over up to 12 years.

PARTICIPANTS

4,125 participants aged 65 years and older without baseline I/ADL limitations.

MEASUREMENTS

Participants' family characteristics (living arrangements, proximity to children, contacts with friends, marital status, and spouse's depression, employment, and education) and dementia probability (high versus low risk of dementia based on direct and proxy cognitive assessments) were characterized at baseline. Family characteristics and their interactions with dementia probability were used to predict incident I/ADL limitations in pooled logistic regressions.

RESULTS

ADL limitation incidence was higher among the unmarried (odds ratio [OR] versus married: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.01-1.30); those married to a depressed spouse (OR versus nondepressed spouse: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.21-2.00); or whose spouse had less than high school education (OR versus spouse with high school or more: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.06-1.57). Living with someone other than a spouse compared with living with a spouse predicted higher risk of both incident ADL (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11-1.65), and IADL (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.06-1.61) limitations. Effects were similar for respondents with high and low dementia probability.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of dementia risk, older adults may receive important marriage benefits, which help delay disability. The salience of spouse's education and depression status implicate modifiable mechanisms, such as information and instrumental support, which may be amenable to interventions.

Post-diagnosis social networks, and lifestyle and treatment factors in the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project

OBJECTIVE

Larger social networks have been associated with better breast cancer survival. To investigate potential mediators, we evaluated associations of social network size and diversity with lifestyle and treatment factors associated with prognosis.

METHODS

We included 9331 women from the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project who provided data on social networks within approximately two years following diagnosis. A social network index was derived from information about the presence of a spouse or intimate partner, religious ties, community participation, friendship ties, and numbers of living relatives. Diversity was assessed as variety of ties, independent of size. We used logistic regression to evaluate associations with outcomes and evaluated whether effect estimates differed using meta-analytic techniques.

RESULTS

Associations were similar across cohorts though analyses of smoking and alcohol included US cohorts only because of low prevalence of these behaviors in the Shanghai cohort. Socially isolated women were more likely to be obese (OR = 1.21, 95% CI:1.03-1.42), have low physical activity (<10 MET-hours/week, OR = 1.55, 95% CI:1.36-1.78), be current smokers (OR = 2.77, 95% CI:2.09-3.68), and have high alcohol intake (≥15 g/d, OR = 1.23, 95% CI:1.00-1.51), compared with socially integrated women. Among node positive cases from three cohorts, socially isolated women were more likely not to receive chemotherapy (OR = 2.10, 95% CI:1.30-3.39); associations differed in a fourth cohort. Other associations (nonsignificant) were consistent with less intensive treatment in socially isolated women. Low social network diversity was independently associated with more adverse lifestyle, but not clinical, factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Small, less diverse social networks measured post-diagnosis were associated with more adverse lifestyle factors and less intensive cancer treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The impact of social networks on the relationship between functional impairment and depressive symptoms in older adults

BACKGROUND

To examine the role of meaningful relationship characteristics, defined here as social network type, in relation to the association between functional impairment and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

The sample included respondents aged 65 years and older (n = 26,401) from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Respondents were classified into one of seven relationship network types (Distal Children (living at a distance), Proximal Family (living nearby), Spouse, Other Family, Friend, Other, and No Network) according to the predominant characteristics of their most meaningful relationships. A two-stage regression analysis was performed in which the number of depressive symptoms was first regressed on the extent of functional impairment and network type, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, cognition, health, and country. In the second stage, variables representing the interactions between functional impairment and network type were considered.

RESULTS

The compositional characteristics of respondents' relationships in later life, as defined by social network type, were associated with depressive symptoms. In particular, when experiencing functional impairment, those without any meaningful relationships were found to have more depressive symptoms when compared to all other network types. The findings underscore the importance of meaningful relationships for the mental health of older adults experiencing functional impairment as well as the risk of experiencing depression among those who maintain no personal social network.

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows that differing constellations of meaningful relationships in later life yield different associations with mental health, especially when taking functional limitations into account.

[Do the structure and functioning of the elderly's social network influence functional health: a preliminary study]

We examined structural and functional characteristics of social networks related to health and well-being among community-dwelling older adults. A survey was performed in Brussels, using an original name-generating network inventory, to explore the structure and types of social ties (e.g. children, friends, neighbors) which forms the elderly's network. Different kinds of support (instrumental, emotional, social) were assessed due to the multiple contents of social exchanges between the elderly and their network's members. Our results highlighted some important social network resources. Especially, social participation, contacts with friends of the same age and reciprocity of social relationships are likely to promote functional health and well-being in later life. We discuss our findings in relation to major social network's typologies referring to older adults.

"Pushed Out on My Own": The Impact of Hurricane Katrina in the Lives of Low-income Emerging Adults

Drawing on life-history interviews, this study explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina in the lives of 57 low-income, African American mothers who were 20-31 years old at the time of the storm. Hurricane Katrina massively disrupted the social networks upon which these mothers relied to facilitate life transitions and make ends meet. The literature would predict that the loss of these important supports would hinder the respondents' transition-to-adulthood experiences. To the contrary, those who relocated away from social ties were more likely than those who returned to report qualitative improvement across life domains. Relocators credited Hurricane Katrina with affording them structural opportunities that lead to a greater sense of independence, a fundamental component of adulthood. This work contributes to our theoretical understanding of the role of familial support during the transition to adulthood.

Risk Factors for Social Isolation in Older Korean Americans

OBJECTIVE

Given the importance of social ties and connectedness in the lives of older ethnic immigrants, the present study examined the prevalence of social isolation and its risk factors in older Korean Americans.

METHOD

Using survey data from 1,301 participants (Mage = 70.5, SD = 7.24), risk groups for marginal social ties with family and friends were identified and predictors of each type of social isolation explored.

RESULTS

Male gender and poorer rating of health were identified as common risk factors for marginal ties to both family and friends. Findings also present specific risk factors for each type of social isolation. For example, an increased risk of having marginal ties with friends was observed among individuals with perceived financial strain, greater functional impairment, and a shorter stay in the United States.

DISCUSSION

The common and specific risk factors should be incorporated in programs to reduce social isolation in older immigrant populations.

Healthy time use in the encore years: do work, resources, relations, and gender matter?

Social engagement is theorized to promote health, with ages 55 to 75-what some call "encore" adulthood-potentially being a time for ongoing engagement or social isolation. We use the American Time Use Survey (N = 11,952) and a life course perspective to examine associations between paid work, resources, relations, and healthy time use for men and women in the first (55-64) and second (65-74) halves of the encore years. Work limits sufficient sleep (full-time working men) and television watching (all workers) but also time spent in physical activity (full-time workers). College-educated and healthy encore adults-across age and gender divides-are more likely to exercise and watch less television. Marriage and caregiving encourage socializing and limit television watching, despite differential effects on physical activity and sleep. These findings fit well with a gendered life course perspective suggesting socially patterned (by work, resources, relationships, gender, age) health behaviors.

Social support exchanges in a social media community for people living with HIV/AIDS in China

In recent years, social media has become an important source of social support. People living with HIV/AIDS in China created an online support group (the HIV/AIDS Weibo Group) on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, in January 2011. The current study examined how social support transmitted in this social media community. First, messages over five successive weeks (2 May 2011 to 13 June 2011) were randomly selected from the HIV/AIDS Weibo Group on Weibo. Next, we employed social network analysis to map the HIV/AIDS Weibo Group's structure and to measure the study variables. After that, a multivariate analysis of variance was applied to examine the influence of frequency of contact and reciprocity on informational and emotional social support exchanged in each dyad. The results revealed that pairs with a high level of contact frequency or reciprocity exchanged more informational support than do pairs with a low level of contact frequency or reciprocity. Moreover, dyadic partners with high frequency of contact exchanged a larger amount of emotional support than those with a low level frequency of contact; but strongly reciprocal dyads did not exchange significantly more emotional social support than their counterparts with a low level of reciprocity.

Social ties and adolescent sleep disruption

Teens tend go to bed later, get less sleep, and report more daytime sleepiness. Medical research emphasizes biological determinants of teens' disrupted sleep (i.e., the timing of puberty and resultant drops in melatonin), rarely or inadequately considering youths' social ties as a determinant of sleep behaviors. Sociologists recognize how social ties affect health behaviors but have generally neglected sleep, especially among teens. Drawing on a sample of 974 teens from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study controls for developmental and social relational factors to predict changes in youths' sleep patterns between 12 and 15 years of age. In general, social relational factors outperform developmental factors in determining youths' sleep patterns, particularly pointing to the importance of parental, peer, and school ties in promoting healthy sleep behaviors. The implications of these findings for further research are briefly discussed.

Are social relationships a healthy influence on obesogenic behaviors among racially/ethnically diverse and socio-economically disadvantaged residents?

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between social support and ties (family, friend, and neighbors) individually and jointly with diet and physical activity among an ethnically-diverse, low-income population.

METHODS

The Health in Common study (2005-2009) was designed to examine risk factors among individuals residing in low-income housing in the Boston, MA area. Cross-sectional surveys (n = 828) were administered in residents' homes. Linear/logistic multivariable analyses were employed with clustering of individuals within housing sites controlled as a random effect.

RESULTS

In multivariable analyses, total social support was significantly associated with higher red meat consumption per day (p = 0.029). Having more friends was significantly associated with more daily fruit and vegetable intake (p = 0.007) and higher levels of daily vigorous physical activity (p = 0.011). Those who reported having a greater number of family ties also reported higher daily consumption of sugary drinks (p = 0.013) and fast food (p = 0.011). More neighbor social ties were associated with more fast food per day (p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Social relationships can have both positive and negative associations with health behaviors. Understanding these relationships could help to inform the design of interventions that promote healthy behavior change among vulnerable populations.

Neural correlates of dynamically evolving interpersonal ties predict prosocial behavior

There is a growing interest for the determinants of human choice behavior in social settings. Upon initial contact, investment choices in social settings can be inherently risky, as the degree to which the other person will reciprocate is unknown. Nevertheless, people have been shown to exhibit prosocial behavior even in one-shot laboratory settings where all interaction has been taken away. A logical step has been to link such behavior to trait empathy-related neurobiological networks. However, as a social interaction unfolds, the degree of uncertainty with respect to the expected payoff of choice behavior may change as a function of the interaction. Here we attempt to capture this factor. We show that the interpersonal tie one develops with another person during interaction – rather than trait empathy – motivates investment in a public good that is shared with an anonymous interaction partner. We examined how individual differences in trait empathy and interpersonal ties modulate neural responses to imposed monetary sharing. After, but not before interaction in a public good game, sharing prompted activation of neural systems associated with reward (striatum), empathy (anterior insular cortex and anterior cingulate cortex) as well as altruism, and social significance [posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS)]. Although these activations could be linked to both empathy and interpersonal ties, only tie-related pSTS activation predicted prosocial behavior during subsequent interaction, suggesting a neural substrate for keeping track of social relevance.

A multilevel analysis of social ties and social cohesion among Latinos and their neighborhoods: results from Chicago

Research suggests that, among Latinos, there are health benefits associated with living in a neighborhood populated with coethnics. While social networks and social cohesion are the proposed explanation for the salubrious effect and are assumed to be characteristics of Latino immigrant enclaves, evidence for this is limited. We used multilevel regression to test the relative contribution of individual race/ethnicity and neighborhood concentration of Mexican Americans as predictors of social networks and social cohesion. After accounting for personal characteristics, we found a negative association between neighborhood concentration of Mexican Americans and social cohesion. Among Latinos, living in a neighborhood with increased coethnics was associated with increased social ties. Compared to non-Latino whites, Mexican Americans reported more social ties but lower social cohesion. Contrary to the assumption that Mexican immigrant enclaves beget social cohesion, we did not find this to be true in Chicago neighborhoods.

Broadening participation in community problem solving: a multidisciplinary model to support collaborative practice and research

Over the last 40 years, thousands of communities-in the United States and internationally-have been working to broaden the involvement of people and organizations in addressing community-level problems related to health and other areas. Yet, in spite of this experience, many communities are having substantial difficulty achieving their collaborative objective, and many funders of community partnerships and participation initiatives are looking for ways to get more out of their investment. One of the reasons we are in this predicament is that the practitioners and researchers who are interested in community collaboration come from a variety of contexts, initiatives, and academic disciplines, and few of them have integrated their work with experiences or literatures beyond their own domain. In this article, we seek to overcome some of this fragmentation of effort by presenting a multidisciplinary model that lays out the pathways by which broadly participatory processes lead to more effective community problem solving and to improvements in community health. The model, which builds on a broad array of practical experience as well as conceptual and empirical work in multiple fields, is an outgrowth of a joint-learning work group that was organized to support nine communities in the Turning Point initiative. Following a detailed explication of the model, the article focuses on the implications of the model for research, practice, and policy. It describes how the model can help researchers answer the fundamental effectiveness and "how-to" questions related to community collaboration. In addition, the article explores differences between the model and current practice, suggesting strategies that can help the participants in, and funders of, community collaborations strengthen their efforts.

Social ties and mental health

It is generally agreed that social ties play a beneficial role in the maintenance of psychological well-being. In this targeted review, we highlight four sets of insights that emerge from the literature on social ties and mental health outcomes (defined as stress reactions, psychological well-being, and psychological distress, including depressive symptoms and anxiety). First, the pathways by which social networks and social supports influence mental health can be described by two alternative (although not mutually exclusive) causal models-the main effect model and the stress-buffering model. Second, the protective effects of social ties on mental health are not uniform across groups in society. Gender differences in support derived from social network participation may partly account for the higher prevalence of psychological distress among women compared to men. Social connections may paradoxically increase levels of mental illness symptoms among women with low resources, especially if such connections entail role strain associated with obligations to provide social support to others. Third, egocentric networks are nested within a broader structure of social relationships. The notion of social capital embraces the embeddedness of individual social ties within the broader social structure. Fourth, despite some successes reported in social support interventions to enhance mental health, further work is needed to deepen our understanding of the design, timing, and dose of interventions that work, as well as the characteristics of individuals who benefit the most.